Drop the PuckThe Ohio State men’s hockey team closes the first half of the season with two games vs. No. 5 Miami in Columbus this weekend. The Buckeyes (7-5-4, 6-2-2-1 CCHA) and RedHawks (10-3-3, 7-3-2-2 CCHA) will meet at 7:05 p.m. Friday and 8:05 p.m. Saturday in Value City Arena.

Follow AlongThe game Friday night will be televised by BTN, with Dan Kelly calling play-by-play and Rob Andringa providing color commentary. Lisa Byington will be rinkside.

Saturday, the game will be streamed through Buckeye Vision on OhioStateBuckeyes.com for a fee.

For both games vs. Miami, Ohio State/IMG Radio will carry the action over the air in Columbus on 1460 AM and live online on ESPNColumbus.com, with Herb Howenstine and former Buckeye John Mowat calling the action.

As always, links for audio, video and live stats are on the Buckeye Hockey Gameday page (go.osu.edu/mhkygameday) and the men’s hockey schedule page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

Tickets! Get your Tickets!Single-game tickets for the 2012-13 Ohio State men’s hockey home schedule can be purchased at the arena on game night. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com, in person at any Ticketmaster outlet or at the Ohio State University ticket office in the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Fans interested in season tickets, a four or eight game mini plan package or group tickets should contact the athletic ticket sales staff for details. Account executives can be reached by phone (614-292-0043) or email (athleticsales@osu.edu).

Ohio State Students, Youth Hockey Players Receive Free Admission Again this year, all Ohio State students will receive free admission to regular-season home games with a valid BuckID.

Throughout the season, all hockey players eighth grade and under who wear their jerseys to hockey games at Value City Arena receive free admission (with a ticket-purchasing parent).

Winter BreakFollowing the series vs. Miami, Ohio State will be off for 13 days before returning to action vs. Miami in the Three Rivers Classic at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The members of the Buckeye squad will head home for the holidays before returning to campus for a practice Dec. 26.

Buckeye BriefThe Buckeyes are 7-5-4 overall and 6-2-2-1 in CCHA play to stand in fourth place with games in hand on second-place Miami. The squad is scoring 2.06 goals a game while allowing 1.94 goals per game to rank sixth in the nation in team defense. The team is 8-for-70 (.114) on the power play and 60-for-70 (.857) on the penalty kill.

Sophomore Ryan Dzingel is first with six goals and 14 points, followed by classmate Tanner Fritz, who leads the team with 10 assists, in second with 13 points. Sophomores Max McCormick and Matt Johnson are tied for second with five goals each. Senior Brady Hjelle has played in 11 games, starting 10, and has a 1.46 goals-against average and .950 save percentage to rank third and second in the NCAA, respectively. Freshman Collin Olson has played six games and has a 2.68 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.

For the series vs. Miami, Gedig, Statchuk and Dzingel will reprise their roles as captains, the first second-time selections of the season.

Last Time OutOhio State was 0-1-1 vs. Robert Morris last weekend, falling 3-2 Friday in Columbus before coming from behind for a 2-2 OT tie Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Game 1: Despite goals from Matt Johnson and Max McCormick and an 8-for-9 performance on the penalty kill, Ohio State suffered a 3-2 loss to Robert Morris Friday in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes took a lead just 1:51 into the contest on a Matt Johnson goal and killed off four penalties in the first period to maintain the advantage before an RMU goal with 35 seconds left in the period evened the score at 1. Ohio State again scored early in a period when sophomore Max McCormick tallied on the power play. A shorthanded goal by the Colonials, with Ohio State on a major advantage, again deadlocked the score late in the second. Robert Morris took its first lead of the night eight minutes into the third period when it scored on its eighth power play chance of the night. Ohio State put 20 shots on net in the third, and skated the final 1:41 with the net empty, but was unable to get the equalizer.

Game 2: Goals from defensemen Devon Krogh and Craig Dalrymple, along with 37 saves from goalie Brady Hjelle, helped Ohio State rally from a goal down twice en route to a 2-2 overtime tie at Robert Morris Saturday in 84 Lumber Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. Ohio State trailed 1-0 after the first period but tied the game with a power play goal from Krogh at 4:50 of the second. The Colonials’ David Friedmann put RMU back head 1:53 into the second period and Robert Morris held on to the one-goal lead until Dalrymple scored off a faceoff win from freshman classmate Tyler Lundey with less than four minutes left in regulation. The teams combined for 77 shots in the game, with RMU edging the Buckeyes, 39-38.

Osiecki Headed to World Junior ChampionshipMark Osiecki, in his third year at the helm of the Buckeyes, will serve as an assistant coach for the U.S. National Junior Team and will be behind the bench at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the third time this winter. Osiecki was with Team USA in 2011 when the squad won bronze and in 2010 when the team won the gold medal. Those tournaments marked the first time the U.S. medaled in back-to-back years. Osiecki will head to Team USA’s training camp in New York Sunday before heading to Helsinki and then to Ufa, Russia for the tournament. Buckeye assistant coach Joe Exter was an assistant coach with Team USA last year.

Buckeyes vs. RedHawks Ohio State trails the series with Miami, 61-66-12, but leads in Columbus, 36-23-7. The teams met four times last season, in two home-and-home series, with the RedHawks winning, 3-1. The squads split a December series. Miami won 5-3 in Columbus before the Buckeyes posted a 3-2 OT win in Oxford. In February, Miami swept Ohio State, 3-0 in Oxford and 5-1 in Columbus.

The teams will meet for a third-consecutive games when they face off in the first round of the Three Rivers Classic at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh Dec. 28. They will close the regular season with a series in Oxford March 1-2, setting up at least five games between the squads.

The teams have met five or more times in a season 10 times, including facing off seven times in 2009-10 (four regular season games, three-game playoff series). The squads met six times in 2003-04 (regular season, Lefty McFadden Invitational, CCHA Super Six), 1983-84 (all regular season) and 1982-83 (regular season and two-game playoff series). The squads met five times for three-consecutive years, 2005-06 through 2007-08, with four regular-season games and the Ohio Hockey Classic tournament in December each year. Since 1980, the Buckeyes and RedHawks have had just two games during a season just once (2010-11).

The Ohio CupThe series vs. Miami is part of the competition for the Ohio Cup, the traveling trophy sponsored by Buckeye Sports Bulletin that has been awarded each of the last 30 years to the Ohio-based program with the best record against its instate opponents. Miami is the defending champion and Ohio State last won in 2010-11. Bowling Green leads all-time with 12 titles, followed by Miami with 11 and Ohio State with seven. Kent State played 18 Ohio Cup games during its stint as a Division I program but never won the title. The Ohio State vs. Bowling Green series Oct. 26-27, when Ohio State posted a win and a tie, kicked off the 2012-13 Ohio Cup schedule. The remaining series are Miami at Ohio State this weekend and Bowling Green at Miami Jan. 25-26.

RedHawk ReaderMiami enters the series 10-3-3 overall and in second place in the CCHA with a 7-3-2-2 ledger. The squad had an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2) ended with a 1-0 loss at home to Lake Superior State in its last game. The RedHawks beat the Lakers, 3-2, in the series opener. Miami is averaging 2.88 goals a game while allowing 1.75 an outing to rank third in the NCAA. The squad is 12-for-80 (.150) on the power play and 69-for-80 (.862) on the penalty kill.

Austin Czarnik and Riley Barber lead the team with matching lines of seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points. Curtis McKenzie is third with 10 points, including six assists. In goal, Jay Williams has played in 12 games and has an 8-2-2 ledger, 2.15 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. Ryan McKay has played in five games, with a 1-1-0 mark, and has a .49 gaa and .982 sv%.

Buckeye This and That• As a team, Ohio State is holding opponents to 1.94 goals a game, ranking sixth in the NCAA. The squad has held opponents to two goals or less 10 times this season. In CCHA games only, the Buckeyes are holding opponents to 1.40 goals a game to rank first. •Ohio State’s penalty kill has allowed just one goal in the last 20 attempts against (over the last five games). The squad was 8-for-9 Friday night vs. Robert Morris and 2-for-2 Saturday. Robert Morris’ power play goal in the third period Friday night stopped a streak of 16-consecutive penalties killed for the Buckeyes. • In scoring among sophomores nationally, Ohio State’s class ranks seventh, averaging 2.94 points a game. Sophomores are the Top 4 point scorers on the squad this year. • Ohio State has a power play goal in six of the last nine games and is 5-for-37 (18.9). The team was 1-for-4 in each game vs. Robert Morris. •The Buckeyes had a season-high 45 shots vs. Robert Morris Friday, including 21 in the third period, and held RMU to 27 shots on net. Saturday the squad had 38 shots on goal, with 19 in the third period, while allowing 39. Friday was the first time the team lost this season when outshooting its opponent. The team is averaging 30.2 shots a game while allowing 30.4. • Ohio State’s 31 penalty minutes and nine power plays against Friday night both were season highs. Robert Morris had an opponent season-high 36 PIM. The team then had a season-low tying two penalties for four minutes Saturday at Robert Morris. • After playing 10 of their first 14 games on the road, the Buckeyes will close the first half of the season with three of four games in Columbus. After a home-and-home series with Robert Morris last weekend, Ohio State closes out first-half play with two games vs. Miami in Value City Arena this week. • Twenty Buckeye skaters have at least one point this year. Fourteen Buckeyes have at least one goal and 20 have at least one assist.

Between the Pipes• Senior goalie Brady Hjelle is now third in the NCAA with a 1.46 goals-against average and second nationally with a .950 save percentage. His three shutouts are fourth nationally. He leads the CCHA in all three categories. • In CCHA play, Hjelle has a league-best .59 goals-against average, .978 save percentage and three shutouts. • Hjelle had 37 saves vs. Robert Morris last Saturday, setting a season high and matching his career best, first set at Miami last December. • Hjelle allowed three goals vs. Robert Morris Friday, the first time he allowed more than one goal since the opening game of the year • Hjelle is a three-time CCHA Goaltender of the Week and was the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for November. In November, he had a league-best .62 goals-against average and .978 save percentage, playing in five games (with four starts) and did not allow more than one goal in any appearance. He allowed three total goals, with two of the three on the power play.

Up Front•Sophomore Ryan Dzingel had an assist Friday night vs. Robert Morris to extend his point streak to eight, with four goals, seven assists and 11 points in the stretch. He leads the Buckeyes with 14 points and six goals this year. He was held scoreless Saturday at Robert Morris to end his career-long streak. • Dzingel has a team-best three gamewinning goals (tying for fourth nationally), including the gamewinners in both of the Buckeyes’ 1-0 victories this season. All three of his GWG have been in league play to rank first. •Sophomore Tanner Fritz has points in six of the last nine games, with four two-point games in the stretch. He is second on the team with 13 points and first with 11 assists. • Redshirt freshman Riley Simpson’s assist Friday night vs. Robert Morris was the first of his career and came in his 15th game. • Freshman Tyler Lundey has seven points, with three goals and four assists, to lead the Buckeye rookies in scoring. He won the faceoff that led to the game-tying goal in the third period at Robert Morris. • In all games, Dzingel is seventh and Fritz is tied for eighth in scoring among CCHA players. Dzingel is eighth (tied) in goals and Fritz is sixth (tied) in assists. • In CCHA games only, Dzingel is fourth with 12 points and Fritz is tied for fifth with 11 points. Fritz is tied for second with nine assists, with Dzingel tied for fourth with seven. Dzingel is tied for eighth with five goals in league play. Dzingel is tied for eighth in power play points (5). • Sophomore Matt Johnson, who is tied for second on the team with five goals and ranks fourth (tied) on the squad with seven points, is 10th in the CCHA with a +6 mark in league play. In all games, his +9 mark shares the team lead and is tied for sixth among all CCHA players. •Sophomore Max McCormick is tied for second on the team with five goals and third on the squad with nine points after tallying on the power play Friday night vs. the Colonials.

On the Blueline• Defensemen scored both goals for the Buckeyes Saturday night at Robert Morris. Senior Devon Krogh scored his first goal since Dec. 30, 2011, also vs. Robert Morris. Freshman Craig Dalrymple netted his first career goal in the third period, which stood as the game-tying tally. • Dalrymple is the third (of four) Buckeye freshman skaters to score this season. He had an assist Friday vs. the Colonials and was the lone Buckeye with multiple points on the weekend. Dalrymple leads the Buckeye defensemen in scoring with five points. • Freshman defenseman Craig Dalrymple and junior Curtis Gedig share the team lead with a +9 rating. The duo are tied for sixth in the CCHA in all games, with Dalrymple second among freshmen and the duo tied for second among all blueliners. • In league play, Dalrymple is +9 to tie for third and Gedig is +7 to tie for eighth. • Sophomore defenseman Justin DaSilva now has five career assists after his first helper of the season Friday night vs. Robert Morris. • As a team, Ohio State has 239 recorded blocked shots, while its opponents have blocked 193 of its attempts. Al McLean and Justin DaSilva are first with 26 recorded blocked shots, followed by Curtis Gedig with 21, Brandon Martell with 18 and Craig Dalrymple with 16. Every Buckeye skater has at least one blocked shot this year. (Individual blocks were not recorded in the series at Minnesota Duluth). • Senior blueliner Devon Krogh leads the current squad in career games played with 109, the lone Buckeye to hit triple-digits.